Alcohol Use and Sexual Risk Behavior Among College Students by Randolf, Torres, Lloyd, and McGarvey - Research Paper Example

the authors note that in the United States and especially among those that are Caucasian, there is an increased rate of binge drinking as well as alcohol use. The researchers examined the relationship between sexual activity in males in conjunction with alcohol use. This was achieved through a self-reported inventory known as the Health Behaviors Survey. As stated in the abstract of the report, the main objective of the research was to “ assess the role of gender and ethnicity in the relationship between alcohol and risky sexual behavior.” For background information, the researchers gathered data and statistics from other studies and surveys in order to establish a baseline for the data. They show that men, in particular in college, are prone to use alcohol more than women and engage in activities such as binge drinking. From an ethnicity standpoint, the data from the NHSDA showed that 6.6% of whites engaged in heavy drinking when compared to African-Americans (4.8%) and Hispanics (4.7%). In addition to the data found in regards to alcohol usage, previous studies also showed that men were more permissive when it came to sexual behaviors. Based on the baseline data, the researchers hypothesized that for their research that men would indicate a higher prevalence of drinking in conjunction with sexual risky behavior, which could mean a higher rate of HIV/AIDS contraction compared to female counterparts.

            The 916 person sample was taken from a southern university as the basis for establishing parameters for the population. Most of the students were around the age of 20 and the main demographic group consisted of white males and females, however other minorities such as African Americans and Hispanics were represented in the demographic sample.  As a result of being in college, it can be inferred that most of the students live on a strict budget. From the data, they found that whites and African Americans were more likely to engage in sexual activity. In regards to alcohol usage, more than a third were recorded for alcohol consumption and approximately 62.9% of the participants reported binge drinking. The statistics showed that in women, there was greater positivity felt through the use of alcohol in regards to sexual content and that perceived danger of contracting AIDS decreased with advancing age.

            This article serves to point out the role that alcohol plays in the social influences of alcohol on sex. However, there are a few points of critique that can be made about the article. The first is the demographics. The sample was chosen from a southern school, which means that the generalizability of the results cannot be determined to any other region, except maybe the area of the south from which the participants were selected. In addition, the researchers seemed to have been looking for a form of causation in that alcohol causes people to engage in more risky sexual behaviors which can lead to the attraction of HIV. The statistical data ran included regressions and from statistical analysis alone, causation cannot be inferred. There was also no implementation of a control group which can create some bias. The baseline for the data was based upon data gathered from surveys, which again can clash with the fact that the demographics of the study are limited. From the article, it seems that many people in the college environment use alcohol as a social tool in order to conform with the crowd and establish social connections. The notion that alcohol lowers the inhibitions of a person is also reflected in the article. As a stepping stone, this data can be used to show school systems that further training and education on the dangers of alcohol and unprotected sex is a problem among higher education in today’s society. As a build-up on research, a more diverse sample could be gathered to give a better representative sample of the entire country. This would help make the results more generalizable.